In a typical data center, equipment cabinets are used to hold various types of electronic equipment, such as servers and other mission-critical data-processing equipment. When in use, the electronic equipment housed in the cabinets generates heat that must be extracted or damage to the equipment can result. As equipment densities in the cabinets increase, so do the heat extraction (cooling) needs. Today, in a typical data center, it is not unusual for electronic equipment to generate 10 kilowatts and beyond of heat per cabinet (typical range 2 to 20 kilowatts per cabinet).
Currently, one method for cooling the electronic equipment in a data center is the use of the “hot aisle/cold aisle” concept; that is cool, conditioned air flows underneath a raised floor and enters the room through perforated floor tiles. The perforated tiles are strategically placed in front of the cabinets (thus creating the “cold aisle”) such that the cool air can be pulled into the cabinets, through a perforated door, to cool the equipment. The cool air picks up heat as it is drawn through the equipment by fans and then the warm air exits the back of the cabinet through another perforated door into the “hot aisle.” The exiting warm air is eventually drawn back into the room air conditioners and the cooling cycle repeats.
Although it is reasonably effective, the hot aisle/cold aisle method of cooling electronic equipment can be very inefficient and has various drawbacks. For example, warm air that exits the cabinet into the hot aisle can be drawn back to the cold aisle via the action of the equipment fans and normal room air circulation. In addition, the perforated floor tiles must be carefully placed and sized to effectively cool the equipment. If equipment is added or changed, or if a tile is accidentally moved or covered up, inefficient cooling results and cooling must be increased. Finally, since the flow of cool air is not directed to the equipment that needs cooling, any change in the room configuration or even people standing in the aisles can disrupt the cool air flow. These disruptions result in a smaller portion of the cool air actually cooling the equipment, which further decreases efficiency. The inefficiencies of the hot aisle/cold aisle system lead to wasted energy (e.g. electricity to power the air conditioners), due to the need to “overcool” the data center to make up for cooling losses. In addition, data loss and downtime can result due to equipment damage from overheating.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for cooling electronic equipment in a cabinet that efficiently and effectively delivers cooled air where it is needed, with no warm air mixing. It would also be beneficial to eliminate the dependence on a cold aisle for cool air delivery, for example by sending the cooled air directly into the cabinet.